Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken to CBS Evening News in the US, telling the channel there were “strong indications” that Israeli hostages were being held at the Al-Shifa hospital and this was “one of the reasons we entered".

Netanyahu said there were no hostages at the hospital when forces entered the hospital on Wednesday, claiming: “If there were [hostages], they were taken out”

Israel says it has further intelligence about those being held, but Netanyahu said: "the less I say about it, the better".

Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of housing a major base underneath the Al-Shifa hospital - which Hamas denies.

Netanyahu did not elaborate on what information Israel had to suggest that hostages were being held at Al-Shifa.